Breaking Point
by koko-write
Summary: When Antonio gets a surprise visit from Lovino, he's certainly not expecting to find his lover shaken and covered in blood. After learning of Lovino's fatal encounter with a fellow employee, Antonio makes the decision to make sure that Lovino is safe from suspicion and imprisonment with the help of old lawyer friend Abel; even if it means sacrificing himself.
1. Chapter 1

**Person A commits murder, and for several reasons Person B takes the blame for them. Person C is their attorney, who knows, and is helping them cover up, in more than one way. Alternatively, Person C is Person A's fake alibi. They help them hide the body and stuff. How the trial and such goes is up to you**

 _"...En tus besos yo encontraba_

 _El calor que me brindaba_

 _El amor y la pasión..."_

Antonio rubbed his eyes with a sigh, taking another swig of his coffee as he absently listened to the music playing from his old radio, set to a Spanish station. Right now, they were the only things left keeping him awake. He had been working since nearly six in the morning on paper that had been neglected over the past week while he was away on 'vacation' with his best friends, Gilbert and Francis. It ended up backfiring on him, though, for he had been working for almost fifteen hours, catching up.

It was about nine o'clock at night now. The night was alight with the bright lights of the city. Antonio allowed himself a small break, taking his glasses off and standing up, walking over to the large bay windows. He leaned against the frame, cradling his mug to his chest to absorb its heat.

" _Es la historia de un amor, Como no hay otro igual..."_

How long had it been since he had actually taken the time to think about such simple things such as the city lights? Nowadays, he was more focused on paperwork and setting up new trade agreements with oversea market companies.

This past year was especially hurtful, what with his tomato crops being ruined by pests and being sprayed with what was supposed to be a 'non-harmful pesticide'. It turned out to be very harmful for his tomato crops, and almost half of the plantation was spoiled.

He sued the pesticide company with his attorney and childhood friend Abel, but didn't get much out of it other than a few hundred dollars and getting the guys involved fired.

Antonio was so absorbed in his thoughts, that when someone harshly knocked on his apartment door, he jumped slightly and spilled hot coffee all over the front of his shirt and on his pants. He gave a pained yelp and jumped around for a couple minutes, stumbling towards the kitchen to snatch a towel off the oven handle and drying his front before resorting to removing his shirt and wiping away the still warm liquid off of his chest and stomach.

He muttered in Spanish as he wiped away the coffee and walked back towards the door, where someone roughly rapped on the hard wood again. "Coming, I'm coming," he called, his Spanish accent rolling off his tongue, and opened the door. When he saw the familiar face of his lover, he immediately perked up.

"Lovino! What are you doing here? Don't you usually call before you..." he trailed off, his face contorting from puzzled pleasantness to worry.

Now that he actually looked at the smaller Italian, he looked like hell. His usually tan skin was a sickly pale, and he shook lightly, leaning heavily against the frame of the doorway. Lovino's dark chestnut hair and clothes were messy and askew. There seemed to be a dark liquid staining his clothed and stuck in his hair. Upon closer inspection, Antonio recognized it to be blood, setting off alarm bells in his head.

"My God, Lovino, what happened?!" he asked urgently, and Lovino only replied in a small whimper before his knees buckled and he fell forward. Antonio caught him just in time before he hit the ground.

He quickly lifted Lovino up and sort of awkwardly half dragged, half carried him over to the couch, where he carefully set him down before getting a glass of water. Lovino gratefully took the cool liquid and quickly gulped it down, only stopping when he began choking and had to set the now empty glass down on the coffee table to violently cough into the crook of his arm. Antonio noticed, now that there was a better lighting, that he had a large, dark bruise on the left side of his jaw.

He rubbed Lovino's back soothingly before asking him what had happened. Lovino ran a hand through his unruly and tangled hair, taking shaky and gasping breaths.

"I-" he began in a high, wavering voice, before he broke down and began sobbing into his hands, doubling over. His body wracked violently with each sob.

Antonio stared at him, bewildered enough to not know what to say in this situation. Just what exactly happened to make Lovino so upset? He carefully rested a hand on the Italian's shoulder, causing him to flinch, though Antonio kept a firm hold.

"Why don't you start by explaining why there's blood all over you? Are you hurt?"

Lovino shook his head furiously.

"No," he whimpered, "It's not mine. None of it is." He gave another loud sob, looking up at Antonio in such pain, that he felt as if someone had squeezed his heart. "Jesus, Toni, what have I done?"

"I don't know," the Spaniard said carefully. "What have you done, Lovi?"

Lovino gave a pained noise and looked down to the ground at his feet. "... I was at the office putting some files away when Lenden came over," he explained, his voice no higher than a whisper. Antonio had to sit right in front of him, resting his hands on his legs in a comforting manner.

"Lenden started being an asshole, like always, doing the usual bullshit. Getting in my way, making fun of our relationship, being a homophobic asswad, you know the shit he does. Then he started taunting me. After his words didn't work, he started shoving me around. After I told him to fuck off and gave him the finger, I started to walk away, but he grabbed me from behind. He turned me around and punched me square in the fucking face." He touched his jaw absently, biting his lip.

"I... I got pissed and hit him back, and we started fighting. He... He suddenly grabbed that damn bat that Ronny always has and tried to beat me with it. I was able to dodge all his hits, and I had to grab it at one point to keep him from bashing my goddamn brains out. I kicked him off, and stumbled back, letting go. I-" he was cut off by another oncoming sob and he covered his lower face with a hand, shaking his head. Tears started to roll down his flushed cheeks.

"I don't know what came over me. I was scared shitless, but I don't- Jesus fuck, Antonio. I-"

"You hit him with the bat," Antonio finished slowly and quietly. Lovino nodded.

"God, it was awful. Blood was... Blood was fucking _everywhere_. I didn't even think I'd hit him that hard until I saw that. I didn't know what to do, so I ran over here."

"Was anyone else there?" Antonio asked, and Lovino shook his head, saying that it was just the two of them. Antonio looked down, thinking, his mind feeling like a tornado had just gone through. He asked if he had done anything to the body, and Lovino shook his head again, burying his face in his hands.

After a few moments, Antonio made up his mind and stood up, grabbing his jacket and shrugging it on.

"Where are you going?" Lovino asked him, his eyebrows drain together in worry and fear. Antonio shook his head.

"Bring me to where the body is. We need to get rid of it before anybody finds it. Then we need to make you an alibi in case someone finds it," he said, and Lovino's eyes widened. He was going to refuse Antonio's help, not wanting him to get involved, but the Spaniard cut him off, holding him by the shoulders firmly so he could look him in the eye.

"Lovino, I love you, and I will be damned if you go to prison for an accident. I will do whatever it takes to help you out of this, no matter what, okay? Now, I need you to bring me to where Lenden is, alright?"

Lovino stared at him for a moment, overwhelmed, before absently nodding, allowing Antonio to lead him to his car. Together, they drove to the office and parked just in front the back entrance. They entered the office, and the sharp metallic smell of blood hit them, making them have to cover their noses and mouths.

When they reached the body, Antonio closed his eyes tightly, swearing in Spanish under his breath. It was terrible. Lenden's face was completely bashed in, the skull shattered, and brain matter mixed with the blood that spilled out. It was hard to believe that this was once a person. An awful scumbag, but a person none the less.

Lovino looked like he would be sick.

Antonio took a deep breath and bent down to pick up the body, blood getting all over the front of his shirt. Lovino gasped and began panicking, but Antonio told him to grab the ankles. He hesitated, but did as he was told, helping Antonio bring the body over to the emergency stairwell. When they reached the backdoor, Antonio had Lovino open the trunk and threw the body in, positioning it to where it would fit in the small space.

Antonio had Lovino stay in the car while he went back inside and cleaned the mess as best as he could. It took him well over an hour, and Lovino could already smell the body rotting in the back when Antonio returned. He tossed the bat in the trunk with the body. When he got in the car, Lovino saw that he carried tapes with him, and gave him an odd look.

"I disabled the security cameras and took the tapes," he explained. "I plan on burning them later. I cleaned everything up as best as I could, and it doesn't smell like blood anymore."

"Where will we put it?" Lovino asked, and Antonio thought for a moment.

"... We'll throw it in the lake. I can grab an industrial bag from the janitor's closet." Lovino nodded in agreement, and Antonio exited the vehicle to return with a large, thick black bag in hand. About ten minutes later, they arrived at an empty dock. The water was dark under the night sky, the light of the moon casting shadows everywhere.

Antonio opened up the bag and inserted the body with some difficulty. When it was finally in, he was about to put some heavy rocks in when he remembered something. He dug around the body's pockets and fished out Lenden's wallet and snapped off his name tag and ID card.

"There, now it should hopefully take longer to identify him," he sighed, relieved he remembered, and stuck them in his pocket. He put the stones in with the body, tied the bag closed and slipped the bag into the water.

Later, when they finally entered Antonio's apartment, they both took a long shower, letting the hot water run over them as they sat in silence before deciding to actually get washed. Afterwards, Antonio allowed Lovino to borrow a large grey T-shirt and deep purple pajama pants. He lay in Antonio's bed for a few minutes alone, waiting for his lover as he thought of the events of that day.

When Antonio returned, dressed in a pair of white pajama bottoms with a printed tomato pattern, he found Lovino curled up, crying. He slipped into bed next to him, wrapping his arms around Lovino's waist and, holding him to his chest, whispered soothing words to him in Spanish. Lovino turned around, wrapped his arms around Antonio, and cried into his shoulder.

They lay like that, hugging each other until Lovino cried himself to sleep.

Antonio knew what he had done, and knew what he had to do. He had to keep all suspicion from Lovino, no matter what it took. In the morning, he would have to call Abel. He knew that he was the only one who could help with this.

He just hoped he would.


	2. Chapter 2

Abel stared silently at Antonio, holding his steaming cup of tea.

They were sitting at Abel's kitchen table, cups of untouched tea cooling in front of them. Antonio and Lovino had come over to Abel's house and requested an audience with him from his younger sister, Lauren. As they traveled through the house to the kitchen, they made sure not to touch anything, as Abel was a picky man for perfect cleanliness.

Lovino was convinced it was almost a sort of OCD thing, or something.

Abel was dressed in a rather stylish cream dress pants and vest with a starch white dress shirt, his favorite blue and white striped scarf wrapped around his neck. His hair was styled up in its usual spike, revealing the small scar that cut across the ridge of his right eyebrow.

After greeting their dear childhood friend, Antonio as subtly as possible mentioned that it would be best if they spoke privately, to which Abel sent his sister out to shop for groceries. She complied, even if a bit reluctantly. She kissed each man once on the cheek before slipping on her flats and sun hat, then left.

Lovino was silent as Antonio explained their situation, the Italian looking down in shame as he gripped the front of his jeans tightly.

Abel slowly lowered the delicate porcelain from his face and set it on its small platter. He wiped his hands off on the front of his dress pants before standing and walking over to the kitchen window that overlooked his garden outback. It was beautiful, with tulips of multiple hues of red, pink, yellow, and orange painting the beautiful plots. Abel took such pride in his tulips, never failing to care for them everyday.

He took a long puff from his pipe, sighing out the dark smoke. After a long pause of silence, Antonio slowly felt the hope seep out of him, and he was about to stand up to leave, when Abel broke the silence with his heavy Dutch accent. "This man, Lenden," he said, "attacked Lovino, and in a careless act of self-defense and fear, Lovino grabbed the bat Lenden was trying to beat him with and hit him in the head, killing him."

"Yes," Antonio said, swallowing. Lovino bit his bottom lip, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

"... Did he die instantly?" Abel asked, catching the two off guard.

"W-What?" Antonio stuttered, confused.

"Did he die instantly?" Abel repeated, turning back to look at them. He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "If he died instantly, then it would be an easier hole for me to help Lovino to crawl out of. If he didn't, then it would just end up looking worse for him."

Lovino was bewildered, his heart sinking as they both looked to him for an answer. He swallowed hard before staring at the floor, the threat of tears stinging his eyes.

"I-I don't know... After I- after I hit him, I just ran over to Toni's. I didn't check. He looked pretty dead to me..."

"I don't think it took him very long, if not instantly," Antonio interjected. "There was too much... 'damage' for him to live afterwards."

Abel nodded. "Alright. What did you do with the body?"

"We hid it in the lake. I took his wallet and ID off him and put the body in a black industrial bag with some stones. His face was crushed well enough to where it would take awhile for identification if they tried using his facial structure or dentals."

"What did you do with the tapes? And the bat?" Abel asked.

"I burnt the tapes, and the bat's at my apartment."

Abel stared at him for another long moment before speaking slowly and low.

"... You realize what this'll look like, right?" he asked, and Antonio nodded slowly.

"Yes, that was my intention," the Spaniard said, and looked at him a little sadly. Lovino looked between the two men, a sick feeling of anxiousness rising in his gut.

"What do you mean? What's going on?" he asked warily, and Abel's gaze moved to his.

"All of the evidence is going to point to Antonio," he stated bluntly, and Lovino's eyes grew wide with horror. The Italian whirled around to look at Antonio, who was absently looking at the window from his seat.

"No!" he cried, bolting up and slamming his hands on the table. "I will not have you take the blame for me! I killed him; not you!"

"Lovino-" Abel began, but he wouldn't listen.

"Are you an idiot?! You could _go to prison!_ You haven't even done anythi-!"

"Yes, I have!" Antonio shouted, startling both Abel and Lovino. The room became quiet as a tense silence settled between the three of them, heavy enough to make Lovino feel as if he were being crushed. Antonio took a deep breath to calm himself again before continuing.

"I _have_ done something, Lovino. _I_ murdered Lenden, and _I_ hid the body. You were at the local bar, with Abel." He looked at their Dutch friend as he spoke, Abel quickly understanding.

"We went over to the bar after you got off of work, at around seven o'clock," Abel played along, "And stayed there for a couple hours 'till about ten, when I had to drive you over to Antonio's. You spent the night there and headed over here to hang out for awhile in the morning. We talked, had tea, and I showed you two my newest tulip plot. Then Laura came home from shopping and we ate lunch, and you two left."

"During this," Antonio concluded, "both of you noticed I was acting a bit odd and distant, like I had my mind on something. When asked about it, I would shake my head, smile, and wave it off."

Lovino was silent for a long moment, staring down at the table. He could feel tears burning his eyes and throat.

"... Why are you doing this?" he asked quietly, not able to trust his voice, and Antonio smiled sadly again. "Because I love you, Lovino."

Lovino's legs buckled, and he crumpled to the floor, sobbing into his hands. As the realization finally dawned on him, his sobs became more intense, despair spreading through his very being. Antonio was going to take the blame for killing Lenden. Antonio was plotting evidence against himself. Antonio was going to go to prison in his place.

Abel was going to help him, and lie.

And there was nothing he could do about it.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Three Months Later:_**

The delicious scent of freshly baked churros mixed with the smell of eggs, bacon, and coffee, wafting through the small apartment to greet Lovino as made his way to the kitchen. There, he found Antonio at the stove, bacon sizzling on the pan he used. The television droned on in the living area, turned to the news channel. He looked up from his work and offered Lovino a small smile, leaning over to leave a quick kiss on his cheek as he approached.

"Good morning, Lovino," he chirped. "The bacon is almost done. Why don't you go ahead and take a seat? There's fresh coffee in the pot."

Lovino grunted in response, shuffling his way over to the coffee pot, perched on its warming plate. After pouring the dark, steaming liquid into a mug and mixing in creamer and sugar, he plopped down into a chair at the modest table just as Antonio set down a plate of bacon onto the red and white plaid fabric that covered the light cherry finish.

Antonio did most of the talking, Lovino silently half-listening, nodding and grunting in response when he was supposed to. In reality, his mind was occupied with other thoughts as he stared at his coffee.

"... Lovino?" Antonio suddenly asked, his voice gentle. Lovino blinked, looking up at him in a daze.

"What?" he questioned, not sure what he missed.

"I asked if you were alright. You seem like you're bothered by something. Is something wrong?" Antonio gave him a look of worry, building guilt in Lovino's gut for not listening. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts away.

"No, no nothing's wrong," he said. "I'm just... thinking, is all."

"Thinking? About what?" A pause of silence filled the air between the two before Antonio broke it.

"... Don't tell me you're still thinking about what happened to Lenden?"

Lovino looked down again, staring at his plate of cooling churros and melted chocolate. His fingers fidgeted with the porcelain of his mug, rubbing the handle between his thumb and forefinger. Antonio sighed and reached his hand over to cover Lovino's trembling one.

When Lovino flinched, Antonio's hand froze in the air, hovering for a moment until he slowly pulled it back and let it rest with his other hand in his lap. There was an air of tension that raised a sense of anxiousness in Lovino, causing him to feel stiff, and purse his lips.

He could hear the voice of the anchorman from the television, talking about the recent crimes in the city within the past week.

"... den filled with cocaine and marijuana was found hidden in an abandoned warehouse scheduled to be demolished. The culprits were found and charged with possession, breaking and entering, and trespassing. Late last night, a body was discovered along the west free port of Lake Chelsea."

The two men's heads snapped up simultaneously, eyes wide with shock. Lovino felt a cold chill of fear settle in his gut, and his entire body began to shake. Antonio put a finger to his lips, a gesture of silence so that he could listen to the anchorman's voice. He reached his hand over the tabletop, and Lovino allowed him to hold his hand, squeezing the firm bone and muscle.

"The victim was found after a young couple decided to take their new fishing boat out onto the lake. The motor caught a piece of black industrial bagging, jamming it. When they checked to see the problem, they found the victim's waterlogged body inside the bag and stuck to the plastic, his face destroyed. The body has been identified as Castor Lenden, who was reported missing three months ago. The authorities suspect homicide, and an investigation has begun to solve this brutal murder."

Antonio swore under his breath and stood up, releasing Lovino's hand and striding over to the house phone, beginning to dial Abel's number, then suddenly stopped. As a look of realization settled upon his face, he slammed the phone back into its cradle, causing Lovino to jump.

"Shit, no phone. They'll be able to get records and link Abel as an accomplice. We have to go over and talk to him in person."

"T-Toni..." Lovino shakily stood up from his seat, and was immediately hit with a wave of nausea, his head spinning. He stumbled, and Antonio moved to catch him. Lovino shoved him out of the way, holding his hand to his mouth as he rushed to the sink to empty the contents of his stomach.

Antonio stared at him for a few seconds, then walked over to him and gently rubbed his back. When Lovino's legs buckled beneath him, Antonio caught him, holding him and whispering soothing words as the younger man began to cry.

"Wh-What're we going to do?!" Lovino hiccuped. He could feel his hair sticking to his face from the salty tears. Antonio moved the hair out of his face and cupped his face with both hands, making Lovino look at him.

"Lovino," he said, his voice clear and determined, "we are going to talk to Abel and see what he has to say about it. And if they _are_ able to connect to the crime, and they question us, we're going to stick to our story, all right? You were out at the bar with Abel..."

"And he dropped me off at your place to spend the night..." Lovino continued uncertainly, his breaths becoming more regular. Antonio nodded.

"Yes, good, and the next day we went to Abel's house to hang out and see his garden over tea. See? Everything will be fine, Lovino. We will get through this."

Lovino hesitated, still unsure. Then, he met Antonio's eyes. Those eyes that seemed to always somehow block out everything else in the world out, as they did now. He swallowed hard and slowly nodded, then paused and held the fabric of Antonio's shirt, a hopeful light in his eyes.

"... Together?" he asked in a small voice. Antonio seemed to be taken aback by the question, but quickly recovered and nodded, smiling.

"Together, " he promised.


	4. Chapter 4

"I love having you boys over, but would it kill you to call first?" Laura sighed as she rushed about the kitchen. She carried a bowl of flour to the counter and mixed in brown sugar, along other dry ingredients before using the electric mixer. The air was filled with the smell of spices that made Lovino's nose itch.

Antonio easily gave her a cheerful grin, and offered to help with the baking.

"Thank you dear, but I think Abe's waiting for you in the garden. I can't believe he didn't tell me you guys were coming over." She pouted, and Antonio gave her a quick hug.

"Well, after we talk with him in the garden, we can all hang out over some tea an your delicious _speculaas_. I think we could all use some of your wonderful baking, _sí_?" he said, and she huffed, turning to lightly pat his cheek.

"Oh hush with your sweet talk. Now go on, don't keep Abel waiting any longer." She shooed the two men outback, and they began their trek down the roughly carved stone stairs that led the way down the small hill. Lovino had tripped and nearly fallen when walking up and down the stairs multiple times.

Paths branched from the stairs, winding through red brick-bordered beds of soil where Abel's beloved tulips grew. At the bottom of the hill was a river that ran under a small wooden bridge. Lovino remembered when Antonio had helped Abel built this bridge many years ago while he and Lauren had been cleaning the house, after they moved here from the Netherlands.

This is where Abel was now, occupied with planting new climbing ivy and honeysuckle around the garden fence that bordered the perimeter of the garden, just in front of the bridge. There was already some butterfly vine and white clematis growing along the unfinished and weathered planks of the fence, a beautiful combination of yellow and white. It would become even more beautiful once the honeysuckle and ivy began to grow, he was sure. It would add a nice sort of charm to the garden; make it feel homey.

When they reached the bottom of the hill, Abel looked up from his work. He squinted his eyes against the light of then sun, despite the shade of the straw garden hat perched on his head. Antonio gave a small wave, and Abel set down his spade before standing, wiping his hands on his pants, and looking up to face them.

"I saw the news," he stated bluntly, and Antonio's facial muscles twitched, his smile falling a little.

"Ah, yeah, that's kind of what we wanted to talk to you about," he admitted, and rested a hand on the small of Lovino's back. "I was also wondering if you had some stuff to help Lovi with his nervous nausea."

Lovino blushed lightly and mumbled a profanity under his breath, embarrassed. It wasn't his fault he felt sick every time the murder was mentioned. It was only natural to be sickened by the crime, even if he himself committed it.

Right?

Abel nodded, slipping his hat off so that it hung from the cord around his neck, and ran a hand through his hair in attempt to repair its former spikiness.

"We can talk on the porch." He led them up the stairs, pausing once to lift his rabbit into his arms. It nuzzled against the warmth of his body, which had been warmed by the rays of the sun.

Once they reached the porch, he bent down to release the rabbit. He then straightened and took the hat from around his neck, hanging it on a hook that had been drilled into the wall. With a heavy sigh, he plopped himself into one of the wrought iron chairs that surrounded a matching table. Antonio busied himself with cranking the umbrella open, while Lovino sat down in one of the chairs across from Abel, listening as the pulleys of the umbrella worked at Antonio's command.

It was when Antonio sat next to Lovino, slipping a hand in his, that Abel began.

"For now," he said, "we just wait for them to link either of you to the crime. We stick to the alibi, no matter what. I've already assured that we have witnesses to prove Lovino and I were at the bar."

"Witnesses?" Lovino interrupted, confused. "How? We were never even-"

"Yes, we were," Abel cut him off in a firm tone that left no room with argument, leaning forward so that his arms rested on the tedious iron work of the table. "We were at the bar that night. However..." he paused for a moment, a glint in his eye. "It's very useful, sometimes, to have friends in many places."

Lovino was still unsure, an unsettled feeling bothering his gut, causing it to squirm inside of him. It almost felt as if they were forgetting something, and it made him anxious; paranoid, even.

He trusted Abel and Antonio, however, and trusted that they knew what they were doing. Thus, he suppressed these distressing feelings as best as he could. He didn't want to worry either of them, or for them to think he had any doubts.

"All right," he finally yielded. He felt Antonio's hand give his own a comforting squeeze, and he held it just a little tighter.

Abel continued.

"If they do end up linking you to the crime, they're obviously going to question you. If they question you, Antonio-"

"I'll tell them I went home after work, and stayed there doing some paperwork until you came to my apartment and dropped Lovino off. He spent the night, and then we went to your place in the morning," Antonio finished for him. He nodded, then looked at Lovino.

"And if they question you?"

Lovino swallowed hard. "I-I went to the bar with you after work around seven. We stayed there for awhile, but I got drunk, and you drove me to Toni's."

"When did I drive you over to Antonio's?" Abel questioned, imitating a possible interrogation. Lovino had to pause and think.

"Around nine or ten, maybe... Uhm, sometime around ten?"

Abel was silent, thinking. "... It'll work, although you shouldn't say nine. It'll leave a blank space of time, big enough to make you a suspect."

Lovino nodded, another wave of nervous nausea sweeping over him. He took a deep breath, staring at the colorful garden of tulips. He watched as Abel's rabbit nibbled on a blade of grass, staring back at him. He unconsciously detached and tuned the other two men out, their conversation lost somewhere within his thoughts.

"Lovino?" The sound of Antonio's voice shocked him back into reality, and Lovino jumped in his chair, his entire body stiffening. Antonio watched him eagerly, concern written all over his face. Abel simply watched with an expressionless calm. Lovino could feel his face heat with embarrassment and he pursed his lips, his face twisting into one of irritation.

"Wh-What?" he stammered. Antonio watched him for another few seconds, silent, before he pulled him into a hug. The sudden sensation surprised him, and he froze, stiffening at the unexpected touch of Antonio's body against his. For several moments, he was unsure what to do, stuck in an awkward position between Antonio and the chair and having to hold onto the table. When he finally made his body move to return the hug, Antonio murmured in his ear.

"It'll be alright," he said. "I'll make sure of it; I promise. So just let Abe and me take care of everything, okay?"

"Why don't you go inside and help Lauren? Ask her for some ginger ale with ice," Abel suggested. Lovino opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it. He knew there was no use arguing. It wasn't as if he could do any help, anyways; he'd probably just get sick. And so he nodded, reluctantly allowing Antonio to release him, and made his way over to the back door.

As he entered the kitchen, Lovino's mind felt as if it had been filled with cotton, and the smells of the spices left in the air only created a throbbing headache to accompany his illness. Once seeing him, Laura wasted no time in having him sit down on the sofa, listening to him relay Abel's advice, and telling him to wait there. While she occupied herself with collecting what he needed, Lovino absently stared at the wall, lost in his thoughts once again.

He understood that Antonio and Abel knew what they were doing, and he did not question them. What he did question, however, was if he could successfully follow their lead. They seemed so indifferent to the fact that Lovino had murdered someone, treating it more as a business affair rather than an unforgivable crime. Maybe it was because they had not been the ones to kill Lenden, so they did not have that guilt constantly hovering over them, making it harder to breath with every passing second. The anchorman's voice from this morning echoed in his head.

 _" The authorities suspect homicide, and an investigation has begun to solve this brutal murder..."_

 _Lenden may have been an asshole,_ he thought to himself, _but that doesn't mean that he deserved to die like that._

What if he can't sound convincing enough when questioned by police, he wondered. What if he slips up and says something he's not supposed to, or he just breaks down in front of them?

His 'what ifs' were cut off by the sound of Laura's voice, calling his name from the kitchen.

"Lovino!" she called, "Do you think you can come here for a minute?"

Lovino shook his head, clearing his mind of his thoughts. "Yeah," he called back, "I'm coming."

He lifted himself from the couch, tripping over Laura's cat as he hurried to get to the kitchen. He swore as he stabilized himself, the cat giving a quick yowl in turn. It seemed to shoot him a glare before darting away and up the stairs. Lovino grumbled as he walked towards the archway to the kitchen.

"What is it?" he questioned, still irritated by the incident with the cat. Laura gave him an uneasy smile, holding her arms.

"There's someone here to see you," she said, her words laced with what sounded like worry and confusion. Lovino's eyebrows came together, and he was going to ask who it was, when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He turned his head, and felt his entire body freeze. He felt the blood drain from his face, his eyes widening slightly as the two men approached him, dressed in their fancy black suits and ties. One of them flashed their badge.

Lovino felt his blood run cold. _No no no;_ what were _they_ doing here? Where were Antonio and Abel? Had they already found them out so quickly?

"Lovino Vargas," the man said with a look of indifference, "We were wondering if we could have a word with you."


	5. Chapter 5

_He turned his head, and felt his entire body freeze. He felt the blood drain from his face, his eyes widening slightly as the two men approached him, dressed in their fancy black suits and ties. One of them flashed their badge._

 _Lovino felt his blood run cold. No no no; what were they doing here? Where were Antonio and Abel? Had they already found them out so quickly?_

 _"Lovino Vargas," the man said with a look of indifference, "We were wondering if we could have a word with you."_

Anxious. That was how Lovino felt as he sat in Laura and Abel's living room, one of the two policemen pacing in front of him while the other sat opposite of Lovino.

The officer that sat across from him had a nonchalant face, devoid of any expression other than immense boredom. His hair was just barely light enough to be considered a platinum blond. Light streaming from the windows behind him reflected off the metal of the cross clip that held his locks back on one side, a stray curl sticking out to the side and out of the clip's grasp.

The officer ignored his more active companion, arms and legs crossed and his slate blue eyes trained on Lovino.

The officer pacing in front of Lovino, he could already tell, was a much more hyper fellow than his tired looking friend. He was a bit taller than the officer on the couch, his strides longer and exaggerated as he walked back and forth. His sandy hair was swept up to the side in a gravity-defying way, reminding Lovino of Abel.

However, unlike Abel, this man was much more energetic, rapidly speaking in a way that Lovino could not understand, nor comprehend how he could last so long without taking a breath. The man had hard features, but not so sharp that it was intimidating, as Abel's was, and bright eyes that Lovino couldn't decide were a more of a sky blue or a sort of dodger blue.

It was during this contemplation that Lovino had realized his brother's art lessons had rubbed off on him, a twang of irritation stinging him before the sick nervousness returned.

He wished that he had gotten a chance to drink that ginger ale.

"You knew Castor Lenden, correct?" the active one asked. Lovino believed that he had introduced himself as some name that started with an M, and that the other one was named something like Luke. He didn't remember, as he had been distracted by the fact that the police had found him and he had a high chance of ruining everything that Antonio and Abel had worked for.

"He was a coworker of mine," he replied, trying his best to keep his usual, somewhat grumpy, attitude. He wasn't sure how well he was doing.

The officer didn't seem to notice.

"What was your relationship with Lenden?" the officer, who Lovino just decided to call M, continued to interrogate. Lovino cringed.

"He..." he began, then paused to think."We... weren't exactly the best of friends..."

"We were told that the two of you were rather aggressive towards each other," the other officer, who Lovino decided was L, interjected. His demeanor didn't change, unsettling Lovino. It felt as if he could see right through him.

"A-Aggressive..." he repeated, mentally cursing himself for stammering.

"According to our sources," M continued for L, "There were at least three incidents where the two of you were involved in a heated argument, and once you broke out fighting." He paused, staring so that his blue orbs met Lovino's olive ones. "The last one being the day Lenden was last seen at work."

Lovino pursed his lips. "Yeah," admitted, "We had a... _Disagreement,_ and he threw a punch at me, but that doesn't mean that I killed him. How he died- that had nothing to do with me. He was an asshole..." He trailed off, looking down to stare at his clasped hands, resting in his lap. "... But that doesn't mean that he deserved to die like that."

"Where were you that night?"

"I left work around seven and went to the bar with my buddy, Abel. We were there 'till- " Lovino paused, his stomach doing a flip.

Shit. He couldn't remember what time he and Abel were to supposed to have left. He felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face, and he had to resist the urge to wipe it away. _Think dammit, think,_ he scolded himself. _What fucking time was it-_

"Ten," he blurted. "That's right, it was around ten. I got wasted, and he dropped me off at my boyfriend, Antonio's apartment. I spent the night there."

Lovino silently sucked in a breath, holding it. The two officers were silent, carefully watching him; he felt their stares on him like headlights and closed his eyes. After a moment of silence that seemed to last forever, the bored looking officer moved, hoisting himself up from the couch. He dug around the inside of his suit jacket, pulling out a small card.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Vargas," he said, holding out the card to him. "Here's my business card, in case there's anything other information you find out or anything else that you remember."

Lovino carefully accepted the business card, hesitating for only a second. "Thank you," he said, glancing over the thick paper in his hand.

 _Lukas Bondevik._

Lukas, that was his name, not Luke. He still couldn't remember M's name, though.

"Thank you," he mumbled, stuffing it into his pocket. Lukas nodded and him before looking to his partner.

"Let's go, Matthias. We have what we need, for now."

M, or Matthias Lovino now knew, seemed to pout a little, but obliged, following Lukas out of the living room. Lovino slowly moved back to the armchair, easing himself in and staring at the wall in a daze as he listened to the two officers thanking Laura before leaving. He watched through the windows as they walked to a black SUV with police light bars attached to the hood, stopping in front of the vehicle to speak for a moment before climbing in the front seats and driving off.

Lovino sat there for another few minutes, staring in the direction from where they left, thinking. When the thought of Antonio and Abel entered his mind again, he immediately jumped out of the armchair, darting through the kitchen and past Lauren.

He threw open the backdoor, calling their names. Antonio and Abel's heads whipped in his direction to look at him. Antonio bolted up out of the chair, causing it to fall over. The sound of iron clashing against the stone of the patio rang through the silence of the backyard, ringing in Lovino's ears. Antonio rushed to him, enveloping him into a tight him with his long arms, burying his face into Lovino's hair.

" _Jesus,"_ he breathed. "I didn't think... I mean, they just broadcasted it on the news this morning..."

"They must have known about it longer," Abel recommended. "It wouldn't be the first time they altered information for the public."

Lovino somehow managed to find comfort in Antonio's embrace, his racing pulse slowing. He rested his forehead against Antonio's shoulder, closing his eyes. After sitting back down at the patio table, Antonio picking up and replacing the chair he had knocked over, Antonio and Abel asked about what exactly had happened.

Lovino described the previous events with the officers to them, telling them of how they had suddenly shown up in the kitchen before sitting him back down in the living room and asking questions about himself and Lenden. Abel asked for him to retell the alibi he told the two officers. When he repeated the tale, both he and Antonio visibly relaxed.

"Good," Abel said. "It's good that you remembered." He paused, thinking. "... I suppose it's also good that you had to think about it, to give off such a sense of normalcy. The average person probably wouldn't remember something as trivial as another night to the bar, especially three months ago."

Abel's words didn't make Lovino feel any better. He could still feel the tenseness of his body from his earlier anxiety rush.

The backdoor opened, and the three men looked to see Laura walk out, a tray covered with the speculaas cookies and some refreshments. Lovino could still see the steam rising from the cookies as she set the tray down and pulled up another chair. She reached over and took a glass filled with a fizzing clear liquid, coupled with ice, before handing it to Lovino.

"Here's that ginger ale you wanted," she said, and he thanked her, taking a sip of the carbonated beverage and feeling the dissolved carbon dioxide bubbles fill his mouth and move down his throat. He paused, the feeling of the carbonation a little overwhelming, and saw as Antonio and Abel took their own cups of lemonade, thanking Laura.

"So," Laura began once everyone settled down, gaining their attention, "Who wants to explain to me why there were two police officers in my living room?"

The three men exchanged a look before Abel spoke up.

"They were here looking for information on the murder we heard over the radio this morning," he said. Laura crossed her arms, giving him a look of scrutiny.

"Try being a little more elaborate," she pushed, obviously wanting a complete answer. She knew how Abel could work with his words. "What does that have to do with Lovino?"

He also knew this, as well, and cut as close to the chase as he was willing to.

"Lovino used to work with him, and they didn't like each other, always arguing or fighting. They wanted to see what Lovino had to say."

Laura watched him, not breaking eye contact. It was impossible to miss the obvious communication they shared with each other as siblings.

"So in other words," she said, "They think Lovino killed this person?"

Lovino clenched his fists as his stomach did another roll, beginning to feel a little dizzy. _If you only knew,_ he silently lamented. If she knew the truth, how would she look at him? How would she associate him with? With disgust? Fear?

She would look at him like a stranger, as if they had never known each other since they were children.

"I don't know about that, but they apparently feel that they have reason to question it, or they wouldn't have come to see him," Abel sighed, taking a sip of his cold beverage as he looked over the garden.

Laura still didn't look satisfied, but must have accepted that it was all that she was going to get. She sighed, reached over to Lovino and resting a hand on his knee, giving it what was meant to be a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry, Lovino," she said. "We'll make sure this gets all cleared up."

Despite her good intentions, Lovino felt like he was going to throw up again, taking another quick swig of his ginger ale. He could see Antonio cast him a look of concern from the corner of his eye.

He coughed, turning his face into the crook of his elbow. He took this time to quickly mentally prepare himself before turning back with a look of annoyance.

"I know."


End file.
